Page 198 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

196  LA T VIA REGION B Y REGION

House set amid idyllic scenery reflected in one of the many clear-water lakes near Dunte
7 Dunte guesthouses along the main 9 Ikšķile
road. Nonetheless, it remains a
Road Map D3. * 2,890. @ from Road Map D3. * 6,250.
Valmiera. popular getaway for Rīga £ from Rīga. @ from Rīga.
residents. The main activity is
Pretty and close to the coast, walking along the coastline, In the mid­12th century, the
Dunte is known for the and a trail stretching for 4 km Augustinian monk Father
Münchausen Museum (2 miles) has several viewing Meinhard, the first Bishop of
dedicated to Karl Friedrich points, including a platform on Ikšķile, accompanied German
Hieronymus von Münchhausen the White Dune (Baltā kāpa). merchants along the Daugava
(1720–97). An officer in the The privately river. He built
Russian cavalry, Baron Münch­ owned Bicycle St Mary’s Church
hausen married a local woman Museum here, the first church
and visited Dunte on his (Saulkrastu in the territo ries of
honeymoon. He became unwit­ velosipēdu muzejs) Latvia’s tribes. The
tingly famous when a collection is housed in a large local Livs resisted
of fantastical stories featuring shed in the owners’ being con verted to
him was published anonymously garden. The superb Christianity and
in 1781, and his association with collection, a work of Meinhard made little
exaggeration continues to this many years, features headway. The church
day. Museum staff dress in oddities such as a Cycle badges at Bicycle was the first stone
period costumes, and one room wooden bicycle Museum, Saulkrasti building in the
is a fanciful reconstruction of his made by an aero­ Baltics, and its ruins
wife’s boudoir. A screen shows a plane engineer. There are also have been covered with a metal
1943 German film adaptation mock­ups of a repairs workshop roof to protect them from the
of his tales. Upstairs are wax­ and a shop of bicycle parts. ele ments. Following the
works of famous Latvians. cons truction of a hydro electric
E Bicycle Museum dam on the river, the ruins
E Münchausen Museum Rīgas iela 44a. Tel 2888 3160. stand on an island, although
Duntes Manor. Tel 6406 5633. Open Open call in advance. & there is nothing much to see.
May–Oct: 10am–5pm daily (to 6pm
Sat & Sun); Nov–Apr: 10am– 5pm Sat
& Sun, by appt Wed–Fri. & 8 =

8 Saulkrasti
Road Map D3. * 5,550. £ from
Rīga. @ from Rīga. n Ainažu iela 13b,
6795 2641. _ Town Festival (Jul),
International Jazz Festival (Jul), Organ
Music Festival (Aug). ∑ saulkrasti.lv
A seaside resort since the
19th century, Saulkrasti is little
more than a string of homes and Ruins of St Mary’s Church in Ikšķile, one of Latvia’s earliest churches
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp302–303 and pp324–5

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